


Wanting to ask

by smirkingcat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21865111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smirkingcat/pseuds/smirkingcat
Summary: Harry gets jealous, but it is Draco who has to do something about it.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 150
Collections: Harry/Draco Owlpost 2019





	Wanting to ask

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sirene312](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirene312/gifts).



"Why is Parker always hanging around Malfoy?" Harry huffs, as he watches junior-Auror Parker walk down through the office next to Draco. It annoys him, because really Parker should work and not laze around all day every day. 

"Apparently the case you assigned him to has a potion connection. You are reading your team's notes, right?" Ron asks, looking at Harry with a bit of shock.

"Of course I read them, but I've already told him that I will give him all the information he needs, and I did, three days ago," Harry replies, even more annoyed.

And he had done so. He had spent one whole day in the lab with Draco. Not that he had been any help or anything, and he had understood what Draco was telling him before noon, but it's not that easy to find time to talk to Draco so he had to be creative. And he now knows more about reverse engineering from addictive potions than he knows what to do with, but he also had a nice conversation.

"Maybe something new came up. Have to praise the guy, not many juniors like to talk to Malfoy," Ron says.

Harry murders him with his stare. Not that Ron would notice as he is munching on Christmas cookies. 

"He should focus on other leads and leave the in-house work to me. That is, after all, the rule I set up with his team," Harry fumes. 

And then it happens: Parker bumps his shoulder against Draco, which makes Draco laugh. Laugh out loud, so that Harry could hear it. And then Draco bumps back into Parker. The last thing Harry sees before they turn the corner is Parker lifting his arm, most likely to slip it around his waist. It makes Harry wish that he isn't the senior-squad leader and in an office full of Aurors so that he could get away with murder.

"Mate? What's gotten into you?" Ron asks, and Harry pushes his fingernails deep into the inside of his hand. 

"What should be wrong? Nothing is wrong, everything is perfectly fine. When Parker returns, tell him I want a word with him," he snaps before he turns around, stomping away. It might not have been his best idea to throw the door shut with as strong of a push as he does, because as the window smashes, the silence on the outside of his office is even greater than inside. As he turns around, he sees Ron, fixing his window with raised eyebrows.

For ten years, he has been trying to get close to Draco. And, in some way he believes that he is some sort of friend to Draco. Not the good kind of friend, not the tell you all my secrets friend, certainly. But, at least once a month he manages to get Draco to agree to a pint at the pub. Harry believe that to mean something, like a friendship forming. 

For the last couple of years, he has told himself over and over again, that maybe Draco is just not the guy who makes friends fast. As far as Harry knows all the friends Draco has, he has known since early childhood. 

It has been working, though for the last few years he has noticed himself getting more and more annoyed at all the other people getting along with Draco so easily. They have no right to! After all, Harry has to work hard for every bit of attention he gets and they somehow manage to get it without ever putting any effort in or acknowledging Draco for who he really is. 

Also, most of the people have no right to stare at him the way they do either. Ogling him up, even when Harry is right next to him. Who do they think they are?

And then the worst of the worst: Parker came along. Somehow, Draco took an easy shine to him. It has angered Harry for nearly eight months now. Usually he is very careful to not put Parker on any potion-related cases, but this time it was unavoidable.

Sadly, his plan has not been working, so he made a rule that his junior field Aurors should do the field work and he will take care for their in-house work. It has quadrupled his work load, since he could not afford to be behind on any of their requests, but he thought he had managed to get Parker away from Draco. 

Obviously, he thought wrong, and it is annoying! Why does Draco even concern himself with Parker in the first place? That youngster is neither that beautiful, nor that witty, and certainly not funny. He is also prone to mistakes. Although Harry may be a bit stricter with him than he usually is even if he does deny it whenever Ron asks. He is also rather clumsy. He knows that if Draco dislikes one thing it's clumsiness. That is why Harry is so careful around him, not that Draco has ever noticed.

And now Draco is basically making out with Parker where everyone can see them!

~*~

"I wouldn't go in there, if I were you. Not that I would mind seeing you getting put into place but it would put quite a dent on Harry's carrier."

Draco took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, before he turned around. "Weasley, what are you talking about?"

"He is in a foul mood, broke the glass of his door, made two secretaries cry, and has junior-Auror Patterson close to a nervous breakdown. Don't know what happened, but he is in a truly foul mood," Ron replied looking a uncomfortable with what he was saying. 

"That is quite a body count for everybody's darling," Draco said, rather impressed. "But out of everyone, you most of all know that he has a temper. So really why are you stopping me and not the others?"

"Being a mate is what I am, so please, if you have to go in, make sure to mention that I did warn you," Weasley said before he went away again.

Draco shook his head, before he knocked on the door once and entered the office. "Rumour has it you are in a particularly bad mood today, Potter," he said in lieu of greeting. 

"Go! Away! I have work to do," was the not so courteous reply he got for his effort. 

"I am certain that making all your employees afraid of you must be a lot of fun. How _dare_ I to interrupt you, but you yourself explicitly told me that you need the results for the Jasper-case the second I got them, so here I am," Draco replied, not getting riled up about Harry's stupid behaviour.

"The Jasper-case? But hasn't Parker been with you all day?" Harry asked. 

Draco raised his eyebrow in astonishment. "Keeping tabs on me again, are we Potter? I can assure you, I did not break any confidentiality rules, though I do not understand why I have to talk with you first, instead of directly contacting the Auror who is doing the investigation. Back when you were a junior, we always discussed your cases, after all" Draco couldn't stop himself from making that light barb.

"I am not keeping tabs on you. It's not like I have the time. I just saw you two earlier," Harry replied, though Draco could see that that was not even half of it.

"You do realise that I am allowed to talk to people about things other than work right?"

"You were not simply talking!" 

Draco was shocked by the force of that exclamation. What had gotten into Harry, really?

"What is that supposed to mean? We-"

"Don't try to deny it, I saw you being all cosy with him. You even were laughing with him, and were obviously very comfortable with him, more than you ever were with me." 

Draco got the feeling that he was missing something important like nearly fifty percent of a puzzle. The thing was, he had never known the pieces were there to begin with. 

"What the hell are you talking about, Potter? What does me talking to him have to do with you? Why do I get the feeling you are angry at me for whatever reason?"

"Not you, him. He doesn't have any business being this cosy with you like you have been best friends forever, when after all this time you can barely stand me, even though I try so hard," Harry blurted out and then shut his mouth with an audible snap. 

Draco breathed out a heavy sigh. "Potter... Harry, if I could barely stand you, do you think you would have entrance to my laboratory, where you have annoyed me daily until recently?" And then finally something dropped into place for Draco. "Wait, you are not coming down to me anymore because you are doing junior-field Auror work, on top of your normal duties, is that it?" Draco asked exasperated.

"Well.... there are four teams I am leading, it's a lot of work," Harry mumbled. 

Draco pinched his nose: "Please tell me you are aware of how ridiculous you sound? You are a senior-squad leader. Let the juniors do their fucking work so that you have time to annoy me again." 

"But I don’t want to annoy you. You joked with Parker so easily, but you are always so stiff around me, and we always argue, and-"

"Harry, please. You have know me for how long now? Seventeen years at least, when we are counting Hogwarts. You must know that I am the arguing type. I enjoy it, and I especially enjoy arguing with you, like I presume you enjoy arguing with me. Its comfortable, relaxing and fun. Also quite beneficial, because I do not explode in the face of the morons I am forced to work with." Draco shrugged his shoulders.

Harry stared at him, so Draco raised his eyebrows. 

"But you were laughing with him, you were bumping his shoulders, you never do that with me," Harry said defensively, finally standing up, because he apparently didn't like being talked down to. 

"Harry, you know that Parker is engaged to Blaise's cousin right? And he is having incredible jitters, due to him having to learn all the traditions from scratch?"

"How is he even allowed to marry into the Zabini family?" Harry asked, astonished. 

"Not the Zabini branch, though if Blaise were to fall for a Muggle-born he would marry her as well. It's not like the Zabini family doesn't have multiple marriages with Muggles in their lines, they just never advertise it. For the Malfoy's, a Muggle-born would not do, but there might be one or two half-bloods on the tree, certainly on outer branches," Draco explained.

"I, I didn't know that," Harry said.

"Well, why would you? Though, certainly you were invited to Parkers engagement party? He adores you, though he thinks you doubt his capabilities." Draco shook his head.

"Oh, yeah... I can kinda see where he is coming from." Harry was scratching the back of his head. "I acted stupidly."

"You _are_ stupid, you acted like a buffoon. So, will this year be the year when you finally get your act together and ask me?" Draco had to fight his instinct to tap his toes, but allowed himself to cross his arms.

"Ask you?" Harry said turning beet red.

"I believe the annual Ministry Yule Ball is in two weeks. After six years of you nearly asking, I am tired of waiting. If you are not going to ask me, I will go with Hilton from the Obliviators," Draco threatened.

"What? No, you can't, he can't hold his liquor at all and gets really rude," Harry said before he stared at Draco. "You knew? You knew I was going to ask you?"

"Going to but failed to, yes I did. I am not certain what you expected, but there are monitoring wards on my doors. Keeps me up to date on the Ministry gossip as well," Draco tried to fudge over the details, since technically it was not really in the grey area anymore. 

"Then why did you not ask me?" Harry said incredulously. 

"I tried to let you be the Gryffindor we all know and love," Draco replied, looking at his nails.

"So, you love me too? And you want to come to the ball with me?" Harry grinned. 

"Not if you behave that way," Draco huffed, crossing his arms again.

Harry walked around his desk, still smiling way too much for Draco's taste. "Draco, would you do me the honour of being my date for the Christmas Ball?" he asked.

"Well, that depends," Draco said.

"On what?" 

"How much you still remember of your dance lessons four years ago?" Draco grinned. 

"I will let you know I improved over time."

"Well, then I believe you finally got yourself a date for the Ball, Harry," Draco said, before he pulled Harry into a kiss, just to show him how it's done. 

As they separated Harry had delightfully red cheeks, which made Draco smile again. 

"So, here is your report. Your guess was right, you will be pleased to hear, but now I do have to go back to work," Draco said on his way to the door. As he opened it, he turned around one more time. "And Harry, let the juniors do the menial tasks again, and don't forget my tea when you come back down to annoy me," he said before he finally left the office.

"You survived," Weasley greeted him outside. 

"Weasley, I believe you are indebted to me, and once you figure it out, I will gracefully accept your gratitude," Draco said, and started to walk towards his lab. 

"I shall show my gratitude and hinder George to make an experiment tester out of you, but that is all you get, ferretface," Weasley shouted after him. 

"Fine by me, Weaselbee," he shouted back.

And somehow it truly was fine by him, maybe even more than that.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Podfic: Wanting to ask](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618865) by [keyflight790](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keyflight790/pseuds/keyflight790)




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